Deadly doses: Woman sent to prison for transporting lethal amount of fentanyl

A woman convicted of transporting an estimated 63,000 potentially lethal doses of fentanyl will spend 10 years in prison.

Bristol Virginia police said the charges against Kristi Nicole Sheffler stem from a March 14th traffic stop where officers seized 127 grams of fentanyl. Data from the Drug Enforcement Agency says as little as 2 milligrams of the drug is fatal.

Sheffler had no prior criminal record and was not offered a plea deal, according to police. The judge suspended 30 years of Sheffler’s total 40 year sentence during the proceedings

“The amount of fentanyl involved in this case represented an extraordinary risk to public safety. This sentence reflects the severity of trafficking deadly narcotics into our community and the commitment of our justice system to hold offenders accountable,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Loucks Mumpower in a prepared statement.

(IMAGE: Property of Bristol Virginia Police Department)